Every Thursday night my daughter and I get together with some of our besties and have our super exclusive, no other friends allowed, “Sunshine Sisterhood” meetings. No, it’s not a cult. Promise.

Anyway, tonight our fearless leader, Nonni, shared with us girls that she is feeling led that we need to start doing a service project once a month as part of our Sisterhood meeting.

I’m not gonna lie. Some of us were a bit more excited than others! It’s our one night a week to just relax, and do nothing but laugh together and eat. Now we are being asked to give up one of those nights per month in order to help others!? *gasp* The nerve! Why is she messing with a good thing?!

We all want to help..but on Sisterhood night? That’s sacred! But..why NOT Sisterhood night?

So I get to choose..will I help because I feel condemned if I don’t? Or will I help because it’s what Jesus would want me to do? I’m gonna choose option B.

Gotta keep the priorities straight. Right? This is another opportunity to grow. I had already been making plans to begin volunteering again this fall, so why not start a little early? Is “losing” one of my relaxation nights really more important than encouraging someone in need?

What areas in your life is The Lord prompting you to stretch in? Will you stretch even if it means giving up your “relaxing time? Let’s be honest, it can be easier said than done, but let’s be open to something new. It will be good for us. 🙂

Blessings,

Sarah

—————

Today’s devo selection:

Misplaced Priorities
Greg Laurie/Harvest Ministries

Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols.
— Acts 17:16

To be able to reach our culture, to be able to reach our unbelieving friends and family, to be able to reach someone who doesn’t believe in Jesus, we must first have a genuine concern for them.

While the apostle Paul was in Athens, “his spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols” (Acts 17:16). Another translation of this verse says that Paul “was deeply troubled by all the idols he saw everywhere in the city” (NLT).

Have you been angered by something in a spiritual way? I am talking about righteous indignation where you see how the devil is ripping people off, and you actually get a little angry about it.

In Athens, Paul was grieved to see the absolute absence of the living God, with every conceivable substitute in His place.

Do you ever feel that way as you look at our confused culture? It seems as though anything goes—except for Christianity.

Paul could have cursed the darkness in Athens. But he instead turned on the light.

Today we can wring our hands and talk about the state of affairs in our world. Or we can do something about it. All too often, we Christians are known for what we are against and not what we are for. We are for Jesus. And that is who we want to talk about. That is who we want to point people to. That is the primary message we need to give to our culture today. They need to hear the gospel.

If we dwell on other issues and forget the message of Jesus, then we have misplaced our priorities.

As we start another week, let us all determine to challenge ourselves even more! Starting today with our motivation for doing things. Because, if we aren’t doing things as unto The Lord, then we need not bother doing things at all.

As we focus on pleasing Him, His joy fills us, and overflows out to the world. That joy is like a blanket of Light beaming out from us, eliminating the darkness that once was.

Blessings,

Sarah
————-

Today’s devo selection:

Do you please God or man?
by Hariette Petersen

Why do you do what you do? Ever wonder what drives you? To serve those you serve? I have. As a mother, I evaluate the advice I give, the help I offer. As a wife, I consider the respect, honor and faithfulness I give my husband. As a friend, I analyze my trustworthiness, my generosity, my tolerance. As a writer, I constantly scrutinize–edit my words, check my spelling, perfect my grammar. Perhaps you are like me, only in another way. You analyze your every effort. You try to please a boss, a spouse, a child. You look to your neighbor’s newly mowed lawn and think you must get out there and mow yours. You see another planting geraniums and head to the nursery to purchase some roses. You listen to someone teach, or preach and feel you must measure up to that person. You hear someone’s testimony and think less or your own. You see others volunteering and serving and you chasten yourself for not doing more. Why?

“Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.” Galatians 1:10

Our aim must be higher than comparing ourselves to others. When we take stock in our own lives, we need to do so in light of Who we are trying to please. As servants of Christ, our only desire should be that of loving as He loved–because He first loved us. As we evaluate our work, our activity, our speech, our thoughts need rest only in our Lord’s pleasure. Are we living in holiness, in humility, in peace? Are we faithful to His call? Are we serving to gain notoriety, success, or popularity? Or are we doing what we do as a willing and cheerful sacrifice of praise for the righteousness we have in Christ, our risen Lord? God loved us while we were yet sinners. He gave His life that we might have His life within us. In Christ we have all we need to bring glory to Him. May we lay aside our need to please man, and live only to magnify Him and point others to Him.

Share this:

Like this:

I'm on a never ending journey of spiritual growth. I'm a bit (a lot) sarcastic, with a dry sense of humor. I enjoy raw, real conversations. The truth of who we are is so much better than the charade!
I'm a wife and mom, and I love it! My life is busy, fulfilling, and challenging. It's been about ups and downs, twists and turns, stagnation and growth. Today, I choose growth above bathing in the chaos of stagnation.
Most importantly, I'm forever in love with my Savior, and want to encourage you to grow in Him. Knowing that He adores you, and has a great plan for your life. You're never alone, there's no pit deep enough that the touch of Grace can't reach down and pull you out.
I look forward to hearing from you!

Trust me, I've been there, I've looked, I've searched and I know now, that there are no answers to be found in the bottom of a bottle or on the edge of a blade! Fighting Hard, Recovering, Rebuilding, REBORN. Moving on from addiction to a new life.

Romans 8:16-17: “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.”